Mentoring’s Impact on Salesperson Job Satisfaction Dimensions

This study investigates the previously unexplored influence of mentoring and mentor source on salesperson multi-faceted job satisfaction. Sales research has yet to examine the influence of mentoring or mentor source on salesperson job satisfaction. Although research using non-sales samples demonstrates mentoring and mentor source affects mentee job satisfaction, such research examining multi-faceted job satisfaction does not exist. The lack of such research is meaningful because salesperson satisfaction with specific job facets uniquely influences outcomes and is uniquely influenced by antecedents. Findings of this study indicate salespeople with mentors report higher levels of satisfaction on six (i.e., supervisors, overall job, company policy and support, promotion and advancement, coworkers, customers) of the seven job satisfaction facets. Our findings further show salespeople with organizational mentors report higher levels of satisfaction on five of the seven facets than do salespeople with external mentors. Implications of these findings for sales managers and organizations are discussed.